Combined fishing lure

ABSTRACT

A fishing lure utilizing the natural instinct of fish to strike a predator which is itself stalking prey including a leader lure, a follower lure, a bead device positioning the leader lure, and a spring-like coil of plastic monofilament line connecting said leader and follower lures to give the combined lure &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;lifelike&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; action. The leader lure has a lengthwise passage through which the line passes and the hook is slidably attached to said monofilament line; the lure and hook being supported in place by said bead device. The monofilament line is wrapped around and through the bead device to support the leader lure in position and to provide &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;catch up&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; action by controlled slipping. The bead device is pulled back and forth over the monofilament line to form the connecting coil. The follower lure may be a spinning rod type bait having a floatable head and a flexible body giving the appearance of the predator and allowing casting the lure using a spinning/spin-cast type rod.

United States Patent [19y Rubenstein June 26, 1973 COMBINED FISHING LURE[76] Inventor: Morris B. Rubenstein, 349 Gunston Hall Court, Hampton,Va. 23369 [22] Filed: May 3, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 250,011

Primary ExaminerHugh R. Chamblee Assistant Examiner-Daniel J. LeachAtt0rneyLowe & King [5 7] ABSTRACT A fishing lure utilizing the naturalinstinct of fish to strike a predator which is itself stalking preyincluding a leader lure, a follower lure, a bead device positioning theleader lure, and a spring-like coil of plastic monofilament lineconnecting said leader and follower lures to give the combined lurelife-like" action. The leader lure has a lengthwise passage throughwhich the line passes and the hook is slidably attached to saidmonofilament line; the lure and hook being supported in place by saidbead device. The monofilament line is wrapped around and through thebead device to support the leader lure in position and to provide catchup action by controlled slipping. The bead device is pulled back andforth over the monofilament line to form the connecting coil. Thefollower lure may be a spinning rod type bait having a floatable headand a flexible body giving the appearance of the predator and allowingcasting the lure using a spinning/spin-cast type rod.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 1 COMBINED FISHING LURE The presentinvention relates to an improved fishing lure, and more particularly, toa fishing lure depicting live action to attract fish.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wildlife, and especially fish, must usestealth and cunning to find and capture food. These wildlifeinstinctively know that when another predator is in the pursuit of food,that predator is itself unwary, i.e., its guard is down. This unwarinessmakes such a predator a good target.

There are a variety of fishing lures known which utilize the appearanceof a predator actually capturing prey. Examples of this type of lure areStrite, U. S. Pat. No. 2,233,684 and Dale, U. S. Pat. No. 2,746,200.However, no lure has come to applicants attention which gives thelife-like appearance of a predator actually in the process of stalkingand chasing prey. It is instinctively known to fish that once prey iscaptured, a predator once again becomes most wary and alert to itssurroundings to protect itself. Thus, a drawback to an appearance of acapture, as in the prior art lures, is that such an appearance might, insome cases, actually repel fish rather than attract them.

Other lures simply utilize swimming movement to attract the attention ofa fish. However, once the attention of the fish is attracted, theeffectiveness of such lures is still dependent upon whetheror not thefish believes that it will be successful in catching the prey off guardsufficiently to make the capture. Thus, the fish may or may not go for alure, depending on how hungry it is, as well as capricious factors, allas is too well known to fishermen. The lure of the present inventioncombines the basic food value temptation to the fish with the usualattention attracting device of movement and then, further capitalizesupon the natural instincts of a fish to cause it to strike the lure whenthe same is in an unwary state, i.e., when the predator is in activepursuit of prey before the capture. Finally, the chance of securing twomeals-in-one makes the combined lure too much to resist, therebyassuring a strike by the fish.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION It is therefore a broad object of thisinvention to provide a fishing lure for sport fishermen which utilizesthe natural instincts of a fish to strike at a predator that is stalkingand/or chasing prey.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a combined fishinglure which will be attractive to a fish for its live action that givesan illusion that the wildlife represented by the lures is unwary beingpreoccupied by the simulated chase.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a fishing lurewhich allows a variety of fly rod type bait and lures to be workednaturally with spinning/spincast type rods.

It is a further objective of this invention to provide a combined lurewith only a coil of monofilament line between the leader and followerlures or baits thereby presenting an appearance of an ongoing, realisticchase.

It is a further objective of this invention to provide a bead devicewhich is used to support the leader bait and to form a spring-like coilin the monofilament line.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a combinedfishing lure simulating in a natural way a predator chase and stalkingaction thereby utilizing the natural instinct of a fish to strike apredator which is itself in the act of seeking food. The fishing lurecomprises a leader lure or bait and a follower lure or baitinterconnected solely by a coiled spring-like monofilament line. Theline coil is lightweight, fly casting gauge plastic and substantiallyinvisible in water to give the appearance of unconnected stalkingpredator and prey. Said leader bait may be in the form of a fish, fly,bug, popper, or any other lightweight fly rod-type bait. The followerbait may be in the form of a snake, eel, frog, or other heavyspinning/spin-cast type bait. Both lures or baits have hooks for makingthe catch. The forward lure is positioned by a frictional bead device atthe desired point along the line in front of the follower lure.

The coil of monofilament line connecting the leader and follower baitsforms an important feature of this invention. The coil causes thecombined lure to present the appearance of a naturally occurring chaseon the water as the lure is alternately relaxed, and pulled (or jerked)and relaxed again. The coil that is essentially invisible gives the lureof the invention the unmistakable appearance of an ongoing chase by (1)allowing the leader bait to move forward while the follower bait remainsstationary, and (2) once fully extended, the spring action of the coilcauses the follower bait to spring or dart after the leader bait,thereby giving the realistic appearance of a chase. Structurallyspeaking, the coil must be sufficiently resilient to provide a delaybetween the movement of the leader lure and the following movement (dueto the spring action of the coil) of the follower lure. It has beenfound that monofilament nylon works properly under all conditions forthe connecting coil of the lure. Applicant discovered that monofilamentnylon of fly-casting size or larger can be easily given a coiledconfiguration by distorting the same with forced movement through asharp angle, as will be discussed presently, and retains its coiledshape well under all normal conditions of tension and temperature.

A bead device on the monofilament line also forms an important featureof this invention by performing at least two functions. First, theleader bait is slidably attached to the monofilament line and must besupported in the desired position. The head device performs thissupporting function. This is accomplished by wrapping the monofilamentline through a passage and around one side of the bead device and backthrough the passage, whereby the frictional interengagement holds thebead to the desired extent behind the leader bait thereby supporting thebait in the desired leading position.

The bead device may be used to control the movement of the leader baitback towards the follower bait as the leader is pulled through thewater. By adjusting the tension of the monofilament line passing throughsaid bead, the slow rearward movement of said leader bait (simulatingthe following lure catching up) may be selected in accordance with thelength of retrieve expected and the desires of the fisherman. Theinitial position of the leader bait is also made adjustable with respectto the follower bait in accordance with the placement of the beaddevice.

When the bead device is pulled back and forth over the monofilament lineunder tension behind the leader bait, applicant has discovered that thesharp angle turning of the monofilament line looping around the beadnaturally causes the formation of a coil. The monofilament line retainsits coiled shape well and imparts the necessary springing and dartingaction to the following lure. When necessary, the original coiltightness may be reinstated by simply moving the bead over the coiiwhile the line is under tension.

The leader bait attaches to the monofilament line by means of thelengthwise passage and is held in position by the bead device. Themonofilament line passing through said passage allows smooth action ofsaid leader bait on said line. A hook, passing through the leader bait,is slidably attached to the monofilament line.

The follower bait also fulfills requirements of this invention. First,said follower bait lends reality to the chase presented by the lure. Thebait is in the form of a natural predator such as a snake or eelengrossed in a chase. Thus, said follower bait utilizes the naturalinstinct of a fish to strike at a predator whose guard is down.Secondly, the follower bait adds weight to the lure, thereby allowinglonger casts with a spinning rod than would be possible using only theleader lightweight fly rod type bait. This feature adds versatility tothe lure.

A further important feature of this lure is the exploitation of thenatural gluttonous and greedy nature of fish. If a feeding predator istoo large to eat, the fish instinctively goes after and strikes at thestalked prey. Thus, a fish will strike at the leader bait in an attemptto take it away from the follower bait.

Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomereadily apparent to those skilled in this art from the followingdetailed description, wherein the applicant has shown and described onlythe preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustrationof the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will berealized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments,and its several details are capable of modification in various obviousrespects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, thedrawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature,and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of the combinedfishing lure showing the position of the lures or baits when theconnecting spring coil of monofilament line is relaxed;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the fishing lure, partly in phantom, showingthe forward darting of the leader lure and the charging action of thefollower lure;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the leader bait;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the action of an alternate embodiment ofthe leader bait;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the bead device; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bead device of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIG.1, the invention may broadly be described as a combined fishing lure,generally denoted by the numeral 10, comprising a leader lure or bait11, a follower lure or bait 12, monofilament line 13, a coil ofdeformable iine 14, connecting said leader and follower baits and a beaddevice 15. The follower bait 12 may include a floatable head 16 of corkor the like, flexible body 17 and a plurality of hooks 18, so as to bein the form of a predator, such as an eel or snake. The leader baitpreferably comprises floatable body with a lengthwise passage 19 andhook 20.

The coil 14 provides the natural or life-like action required by theinvention. To explain, this natural action is the presentation of theappearance of an ongoing alternate stalking, chasing sequence betweenpredator and prey. The fish is enticed to strike at the follower bait 12by capitalizing on the natural instinct of a fish to strike a predatorthat has its guard down, or if the predator itself is too large to eat,the natural gluttonous instinct of a fish will cause it to strike at theprey or leader bait 11.

As shown by the solid lines in FIG. 2, when line 13 is pulled taut, coil14 also is extended, and, when line 13 is relaxed, the coil 14 by springaction resumes the coiled shape shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2,thereby simulating the alternate stalking (FIG. 1) and the chase (FIG.2). Applicant has found lightweight monofilament plastic, such as nylon,to be the most suitable material for coil 14. Once coiled, monofilamentnylon retains the coiled shape well under a wide variety of tension andtemperature conditions.

By varying the length, number and turns, as well as the gauge of thecoil 14, the nature of the chase can be varied. Thus, depending upon thetype of follower bait 12 used, the coil 14 can be designed to cause saidfollower bait 12 to spring forward at leader bait 11, or more simply,jerk forward at said leader bait 11. Also, by varying the number ofturns and length of the coil 14, the leader bait 11 can be jerkedforward with several small darts, as may be desired, before coil 14 isextended far enough to cause follower bait 12 to spring forward. As willbe seen below, the number of coils can be varied between casts by meansof the bead device 15.

The frictional holding ability of the bead device 15 may be varied toallow the forward lure 11 to move back a selected distance during eachchase sequence (FIG. 2).

Thus, a longer chase before capture will result when coil 14 comprises agreater number of coils. As will be seen below, the number of coils incoil 14 may be varied between casts or as often as desired. The lengthof the total chase can thus be varied according to the type of baitbeing used for the leader and/or follower baits, the type of fishexpected to be attracted by the lure, the clarity of the water or thelength of an expected cast.

The monofilament line 13 and coil 14 provide a further feature of thisinvention. Heretofore, because of the design, lightweight lures such asflies, wet and dry, poppers, bugs, and spinners could be cast only shortdistances without the use of extra weights that are conspicious and tendto prevent fish from hitting the lure under certain circumstances. Ithas been found by applicant that these lightweight lures can be castmuch longer distances when normal lightweight line is replaced bymonofilament line when using spinning and spin-cast type rods. Thus,provision of monofilament tightness of the line 13 and coil 14 addsgreatly to the versatility of the lure 10. Spinning/spin-cast type rodsas well as fly rods are therefore amenable for use with the combinedlure 10. The relatively heavy follower bait 12 further contributes tothis feature as will be discussed below.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, bead device 15 will be discussed. Beaddevice 15 has a passage 21 through the center, smooth rounded edges 22provided at both ends of said passage 21, entrance 23 and exit 24,respectively, at the ends of passage 21. After passing the monofilamentline 13 through leader bait 11, said line 13 is inserted into beaddevice 15. Monofilament line 13 is passed into entrance 23, throughpassage 21, and out exit 24. The line 13 is then turned, wrapped orlooped around one side of the bead device 15 and reinserted into theentrance 23 and through passage 21. When the line 13 re-exits from exit24, said line 13 is pulled out to any desired length.

After wrapping line 13 around and through the bead device, coil 14 isformed by slipping bead device 15 back and forth along line 13 behindleader bait 11 while the line is under tension. Smooth, rounded edges 22prevent damage to line 13 as the bead device 15 is slipped back andforth along said line 13. However, the relatively sharp corners at theentrance and exit 23, 24 distresses the nylon line and causes it tocurl. It is believed that the plastic nature of the nylon causes thestretching of the material along the outside of the coil 14 andcompresses the material along the inside, thus permanently deforming theline.

Once coil 14 is formed, bead device 15, while monofilament line 13 isstill wrapped around and through said device 15, is positioned behindleader bait 11 to hold said leader bait the desired distance ahead offollower bait 12. The amount of grip exerted by bead 15 on line 13 maybe adjusted, thereby allowing leader bait 11 to slide backward as thelure is jerked through the water.

If no backward movement of leader bait 11 is desired, line 13 is wrappedtightly around the device 15 or looped several times about said device.On the other hand, if a relatively fast capture by follower bait 12 isdesired, line 13 is strung loosely through bead 15. An embodiment ofbead 15 allowing the fast capture would include a passage 21 having alarge diameter. As can be realized, the diameter of passage 21 of bead15 can also be varied according to the diameter of line chosen by thefisherman, as well as according to the chase conditions. This featureprovides added realism to the lure since the predator (follower bait 12)appears to be gaining on and catching the prey (leader bait l l) as thetwo are pulled across or through the water.

By enlarging the size of cone on either side of bead 15, the gripexerted by the bead on the line 13 can be reduced to allow bait 11 tomove even more rapidly backward toward bait 12 as the chase progresses.With a variety of beads having more or less conical recess depth, thefisherman is able to gain just the right amount of chase action desired.

Separate hook 20, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, passes through the body ofbait 11 and slidably attaches to line 13 in front of the bait 1 1 bymeans of eye 33. By allowing the hook to attach to bait l 1 in thismanner, any rolling movement of bait 11 will impart like movement tohook 20. As hook 20 may be of bright or reflective material, anymovement of hook 20 might cause a flash of light or shimmering effect.Such shimmering effect might well attract the attention of any otherwiseunobservant fish. The friction between line 13 and hook 20 at the eye33, also contributes to the smooth movement of leader bait 11.

Follower bait 12, as shown in FIG. 1, comprising floatable head 16,flexible body 17 and hooks 18, gives the appearance of a predatorstalking and striking at prey, or leader bait 11. Floatable head 16 isconstructed of cork or other floatable substance. Follower bait 12fulfills at least two major functions in this invention. First, bait 12is constructed of a material which allows said bait 12 to be heavierthan bait 11. The bait 12 is a heavy spinning/spin-cast type bait, whilebait 11 is a light fly rod type which would require special fly rod typeequipment. Thus, the combination of a heavy spinning rod type bait witha light fly rod bait allows casting with a spinning/spin type cast rod.Secondly, bait 12 causes coil 14 to elongate when a cast is made,thereby allowing the lure to settle on or in the water in such aposition that the lure l2 representing the predator begins the firstsequence of stalking and chasing the prey immediately.

The leader bait 11 and follower bait 12 can both be of the floatingvariety, submerged variety, or a combination of the two. Thus,versatility is added to the invention because of the plurality of baits.The fisherman is thus able to choose the combination of floating and-/or submerged type baits that best fits the surrounding conditions.

The floatable head 16 of the preferred follower bait 12 in combinationwith flexible body 17 provides realism to the lure. By being maintainedin an essentially vertical position while leader bait 11 attempts toescape, the follower bait 12 presents the appearance of a predatorstalking prey. Immediately before darting forward when coil 14 is in theelongated, taut position shown by the solid lines in FIG. 2, thefollower bait l2 assumes an essentially horizontal position. Thisposition shown in FIG. 2 presents a natural appearance of a predatorpositioning himself for an attack. The charge at leader bait 11 byfollower bait 12 thus occurs in a similar manner as does an attack by apredator in nature.

Another embodiment of leader bait 11 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The fly50 comprises hook 51, bead device 15 and adornment 52. The fly 50 may bea wet or dry fly, or a spinner. Hook 51 has an offset neck 53 which fitsaround bead device 15 and the hook 51 is concealed in adornment 52, asshown in FIG. 4. The hook 51 is allowed to slowly swing downward withadornment 52 attached thereto after the lure has settled in the water,thereby attracting fish by such movement. Further movement of hook 51results when fly 50 swings into an essentially horizontal position (FIG.4) at the moment the lure 10 is pulled through the water. After the lureis relaxed, fly 50 will swing into a substantially vertical position(FIG. 3).

Other equally effective embodiments fof the follower bait 12 may befish, frogs, or the like. There are a wide variety of easilymanufactured predator type follower baits which could be used dependingupon the type of game the fisherman is searching for.

In action, the lure 10 may thus be described in terms of the actions ofthe fisherman:

a. Cast: When the lure 10 is cast, force on line 13 caused by thedifference in weight between the heavy follower bait 12 and the lighterleader bait l 1, pulls coiled line 14 into an elongated or straightposition. The lightweight fly rod type lures in the leader position maybe easily cast without weights added, using spinning/spin-cast type rodsdue to the relatively heavy weight of the lure in the rear or followerposition.

b. Relax: As the lure 10 settles on or in the water, and the line 13 isrelaxed, the coil 14 between leader bait 11 and follower bait 12 beginsto re-form or contract naturally. As coil 14 is re-formed, follower bait12 is gradually pulled forward by the stored spring energy toward thestationary leader bait 11; it being understood that the leader lure l 1is being held stationary by the fisherman through the line 13 to therod. This action gives the appearance of a predator stalking andovertaking a prey thus taking advantage of the natural instinct of afish to strike a predator whose guard is down.

c. Pull: After coil 14 has fully re-formed, the next action is up to thefisherman. The fisherman smartly pulls the tip of his fishing rod. Thispull (or jerk) causes the leader bait 1 l, which already has theappearance of being stalked, to dart or pop forward out of the reach ofthe predator or follower bait 12.

The length of coil 14 may be adjusted before a cast by means of beaddevice 15, to allow the leader bait 11 to dart forward a number of timeswithout restraint. This action in some instances gives a more realisticappearance of a prey fleeing a predator. When the coil 14 is finallysubstantially fully extended, the rear lure 12 moves forward as if nowcharging the forward bait 11.

Thus, in summary, a combined fishing lure 10 has been developed from astudy of feeding habits of fish and utilizes the natural instinct offish to strike at a predator stalking prey. The lure 10 takes the formof the leader bait l1 and the follower bait 12' interconnected by a coilof monofilament line formed by pulling a bead device 15 over said line.A fish is enticed to strike at either predator or prey. The combinationof a lightweight fly type bait, monofilament line and a heavyspinning/spin-cast type bait allows casting over greater distances andmore accurately with conventional spinning and spin-cast rods thanpreviously possible with only light fly bait.

In this disclosure, there is shown and described only the preferredembodiment of the invention, but, as aforementioned, it is to beunderstood that the invention is capable of use in various othercombinations and environments and is capable of changes or modificationswithin the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein.

I claim:

1. A combined fishing lure utilizing the natural instinct of fish tostrike a predator that is in the act of stalking prey comprising aleader lure, a follower lure and a coil of deformable line, said leaderand follower lures being spaced apart and connected by said coil ofline, said coil being sufficiently resilient to provide a delay betweenmovement of said leader bait and a following movement by the springaction of said coil of said follower lure, said coil being relativelylightweight and substantially invisible in water to give the appearanceof unconnected stalking predator and prey.

2. The combined fishing lure of claim 1, wherein is provided bead meanson said line to limit the rearward travel of said leader lure along saidcoil, said bead means including a passage therethrough to accommodatetwo lengths of said line when looped around one side of said bead means.

3. The combined fishing lure of claim 2 wherein said line is loopedthrough and around one side of said bead means to frictionally hold saidbead means in position.

4. The combined fishing lure of claim 3 wherein said bead means isoperative to form the coil of said deformable line by pulling said beaddevice back and forth along said monofilament line under tension.

5. The combined fishing lure of claim 3 wherein said deformable line iswrapped around said bead means sufficiently loosely to allow said leaderbait to slide back towards said follower bait as the lure is pulledthrough the water.

6. The combined fishing lure of claim 4 wherein said bead meanscomprises rounded edges adjacent the passage to prevent damaging theline when said bead device is pulled along said line to form said coil.

7. The combined fishing lure of claim 1, wherein a hook is included onsaid leader bait and is loosely and slidably attached to said line toallow downward pivoting action when the line is relaxed.

8. The combined fishing lure of claim 7 wherein said hook includes anoffset neck portion, a holding bead mounted on said line behind saidhook, said neck portion mating with said bead to allow said hook toswing back to substantially horizontal position when the lure is pulledthrough the water.

9. The combined fishing lure of claim 1 wherein said line ismonofilament line.

10. The combined fishing lure of claim 9 wherein said line is nylon.

1. A combined fishing lure utilizing the natural instinct of fish tostrike a predator that is in the act of stalking prey comprising aleader lure, a follower lure and a coil of deformable line, said leaderand follower lures being spaced apart and connected by said coil ofline, said coil being sufficiently resilient to provide a delay betweenmovement of said leader bait and a following movement by the springaction of said coil of said follower lure, said coil being relativelylightweight and substantially invisible in water to give the appearanceof unconnected stalking predator and prey.
 2. The combined fishing lureof claim 1, wherein is provided bead means on said line to limit therearward travel of said leader lure along said coil, said bead meansincluding a passage therethrough to accommodate two lengths of said linewhen looped around one side of said bead means.
 3. The combined fishinglure of claim 2 wherein said line is looped through and around one sideof said bead means to frictionally hold said bead means in position. 4.The combined fishing lure of claim 3 wherein said bead means isoperative to form the coil of said deformable line by pulling said beaddevice back and forth along said monofilament line under tension.
 5. Thecombined fishing lure of claim 3 wherein said deformable line is wrappedaround said bead means sufficiently loosely to allow said leader bait toslide back towards said follower bait as the lure is pulled through thewater.
 6. The combined fishing lure of claim 4 wherein said bead meanscomprises rounded edges adjacent the passage to prevent damaging theline when said bead device is pulled along said line to form said coil.7. The combined fishing lure of claim 1, wherein a hook is included onsaid leader bait and is loosely and slidably attached to said line toallow downward pivoting action when the line is relaxed.
 8. The combinedfishing lure of claim 7 wherein said hook includes an offset neckportion, a holding bead mounted on said line behind said hook, said neckportion mating with said bead to allow said hook to swing back tosubstantially horizontal position when the lure is pulled through thewater.
 9. The combined fishing lure of claim 1 wherein said line ismonofilament line.
 10. The combined fishing lure of claim 9 wherein saidline is nylon.